September 30, 2013 -- EuroGeographics has agreed a grant offer with Esri to help its 59 members implement INSPIRE compliant web services and develop the European Location Framework (ELF).

The package of software and 12 month’s technical support includes one copy of the ArcGIS system. It includes an ArcGIS Online level 1 subscription which will enable members to share data within the ELF project and experiment with cloud GIS. The grant also offers free virtual training for one person and one entrance pass for the 2014 Esri International User Conference in San Diego, California.

National Mapping, Land Registry and Cadastral Authorities who are partners in the ELF Project, or are contributing data or services to it, will receive technical support and upgrades until its completion.

“The European Location Framework is key to the delivery of interoperable, cross-border, INSPIRE-compliant public sector information provided by our members,” says EuroGeographics’ Secretary General and Executive Director, Dave Lovell.

“National Mapping, Land Registry and Cadastral Authorities have made significant progress in implementing INSPIRE and grants, such as this generous offer from Esri, are a welcome addition in helping them to meet the requirements and continue to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits.

“We are particularly pleased that training is part of the package, which means the grant benefits the geospatial experts of today and those of the future.”

“Esri is delighted to support and work in partnership with this important geospatial community, helping to make their authoritative data more widely accessible to underpin a wide range of social, environmental and economic applications,” says Nick Land, Esri’s Business Development Manager for National Mapping and Cadastral Authorities.

“As a partner in the ELF project we are particularly excited that ArcGIS Online will be used as the cloud platform for sharing ELF and INSPIRE compliant data and services. Through this grant, it will also open up opportunities for all EuroGeographics members to embrace cloud GIS”.

The ELF project is co-funded by the European Commission’s Competitive and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP).

For further information please contact Patricia Sokacova, EuroGeographics‘ Membership and Communication Manager on +421 903 056 418/+421 948 388 908, email: patricia.sokacova@eurogeographics.org; or Rhian French on +44 1264 300 126, +447892 698 350 (mobile), email: press@eurogeographics.org.

About EuroGeographics - Connecting you to the authoritative geo-information framework for Europe

EuroGeographics is an international not-for-profit organisation (AISBL/ IVZW under Belgian Law. BCE registration:  833 607 112) and the membership association for the European National Mapping, Land Registry and Cadastral Authorities. It currently brings together 59 members from 46 countries, from Portugal to Ukraine and Iceland to Turkey.

The European Location Framework project is co-funded by the European Commission’s Competitiveness & Innovation framework Programme (CIP) Information and Communication Technologies Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP). The project team comprises mapping and cadastral agencies, application developers, SMEs, universities, EuroGeographics and the Open Geospatial Consortium.

EuroGeographics’ members invest around €1.5 billion in the development of geographical information each year and use cutting-edge technology to create, manage, maintain and make available authoritative national databases. Together, they are developing an infrastructure to integrate their national data – including topographic and land information – to deliver the definitive pan-European location framework for a wide range of uses.

By sharing best practice and creating standard data specifications and policies, EuroGeographics aims to ensure that members’ individual geographical databases are compatible and can interact with one another. This will provide Europe with the high quality geographical information it needs to develop policies and legislation for the environment, business competitiveness, public services, legal systems, security and more.

To find out more about EuroGeographics, please visit www.eurogeographics.org
To find out more about the European Location Framework visit www.elfproject.eu
To see our members’ geographical information in action, please visit our showcase at www.youtube.com/eurogeographics